2018 American League Power Rankings
After coming out last week with my National League Power Rankings for 2018, we will be focusing on the American League. Like last week, I will write a brief summary on the teams and their projected record for the year. Let’s begin.
15 Tampa Bay Rays- After trading the face of the franchise (Evan Longoria) for pennies on the dollar, Tampa Bay is in for a long rebuild. 64—98
14 Kansas City Royals- Not only can’t the Royals watch porn anymore, but they also lost Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer in free agency. It’s going to be a long year in more ways than one. 65—97
13 Detroit Tigers- The Tigers are a team that held on to their stars for too long and are now paying the price. With aging veterans like Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez and with no good prospects on the way, the Tigers are stuck in neutral. 67—95
12 Chicago White Sox- After going through a crazy rebuild a year ago, the White Sox now have a bright future ahead of them. They’re not close to contending, but Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson we’ll get them back there soon. 74—88
11 Baltimore Orioles- Despite having of the best players in all of baseball in Manny Machado, the Orioles look like a team going nowhere. They don’t have enough pitching to make them playoff contenders and Machado’s exit seems more likely by the day. 75—87
10 Oakland Athletics- While the Oakland A’s aren’t going to make the playoffs this year, they may be closer than you think. Matt Chapman and Matt Olson are two fantastic young players and could have breakout years in 2018. 78—84
9 Seattle Mariners- While I think the Mariners could be a sleeper team, they are in the toughest division in baseball. For them to make the playoffs, Felix Hernandez and Robinson Cano are going to have to be amazing. It’s also cool to see Ichiro back with the team. 81—81
8 Texas Rangers- Similar to the Mariners, I like the Rangers and think they have some nice pieces. But they are also in the toughest division in baseball in the AL West. What hurts Texas is their pitching as Cole Hamels is the only reliable starter. 83—79
7 Toronto Blue Jays- Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez have quietly formed one of the best pitching duos in the American League. But for the Blue Jays to become true contenders, they need to get another bat to help out Josh Donaldson. 84—78
6 Minnesota Twins- After being the worst team in the AL in 2016, the Twins shocked everyone and made the playoffs last year. I think they’ll have similar success this year considering they have a young core. Both Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano are superstars in the making. 86—76
5 Los Angeles Angels- The Angels made serious moves this offseason and I think they will pay off. Zack Cozart and Ian Kinsler add much needed offense and rookie sensation Shohei Ohtani hopefully becomes an ace for LA. Plus it helps to have the best player in baseball in Mike Trout. 88—74
4 Boston Red Sox- After coming off of back to back disappointing postseason outings, the Red Sox brought in new manager Alex Cora. With players like Mookie Betts, Chris Sale, Andrew Benintendi, and newcomer J.D. Martinez; talent is not an issue for the Sox. However, leadership is. If the Red Sox are able is get a consistent leader, then they are a World Series contender. 95–67
3 Cleveland Indians- After having the best record in the American League last year, the Indians were upset in the 1st round. Since then, they lost one of their best hitters in Carlos Santana. So while the Indians are still a fantastic team, they aren’t the class of the AL anymore. Francisco Lindor and Corey Kluber will try to change my mind. 97–65
2 New York Yankees- The Yankees got Giancarlo Stanton. So yeah, they’re going to be good. Stanton and Aaron Judge alone will combine for at least 100 home runs. But for the New York Yankees to get back to the World Series, they’re going to have to get more out of their starters. Luis Severino has a chance to chance to become that ace for New York. 98–64
1 Houston Astros- They’re the defending champions. Of course they’re still number one. But what makes the Houston Astros even scarier is that they got better. They picked up ace Gerrit Cole and still have the reigning MVP in Jose Altuve and reigning World Series MVP in George Springer. The Astros are great now and they will great for many years to come. 101–61
Steven Santoro (SVS_1993)
